Candidates from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed Oikyaboddho Notun Projonmo panel on Thursday alleged vote rigging at two polling centres in the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU), hall unions, and Senate student representative elections.
They made the allegations at a press conference held at the university’s transport market around 3:45pm.
The panel’s general secretary candidate, Nafiul Islam Jibon, said that voting at the Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall polling centre had been suspended for an hour after their agent reported that an assistant presiding officer had pre-signed at least 100 ballot papers in an attempt to manipulate voting.
‘We saw long queues in front of the Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall and Matihar Hall polling centres and fear that vote rigging took place at these two centres,’ Jibon said.
He further alleged that members of the Rover Scouts deployed to assist voters inside the centres had sought votes for a candidate, violating the electoral code of conduct.
Jibon also claimed that Islami Chhatra Shibir activists were attempting to bring outsiders onto the campus to create unrest.
Contacted, Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall polling centre presiding officer Professor Mahbubor Rahman said that some ballot papers had been pre-signed to expedite the process.
‘However, voting at the centre never stopped—it only slowed down due to the allegation,’ he added.
